


Decompression

by NatalieRyan



Series: Whumptober 2020 [25]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Day 25, Gen, Jack takes care of his boy, Whump, Whumptober 2020, emotional exhaustion, exhausted Mac, post 1x09 fic, post op plane checkups
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-27
Updated: 2020-10-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:53:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27236059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NatalieRyan/pseuds/NatalieRyan
Summary: Once Mac wiggled and made himself comfortable, Jack wrapped him in a tight hug, holding Mac close and hoping Mac was finally going to sleep. He earned it and needed it.
Relationships: Jack Dalton & Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016)
Series: Whumptober 2020 [25]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948579
Comments: 16
Kudos: 69
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Decompression

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SabbyStarlight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SabbyStarlight/gifts), [N1ghtshade](https://archiveofourown.org/users/N1ghtshade/gifts).



> I present you with the story for day 25. It's a post 1x09 story, where Mac just collapses once they get out of the hostage situation at the embassy. 
> 
> Imo, he was way beyond the point of exhaustion because first it was the Ghost, then 1x07 happened, then Murdoc and Bozer finding out he is a spy, topping it off with the Latvia mission. 
> 
> So in true Nade fashion, I just wanted him to relax and rest, and of course I wouldn't be me if it wasn't for Jack taking care of his boy and Mac doubting himself, again.   
> Shameless fluff and comfort to with the whump. 
> 
> Thanks once again go to Sabrina for helping me with brainstorming about this one and Thistle for the beta. I swear you two keep me sane when I think this is it just this close before I complete Whumptober. Seriously, thank you, I love you ❤❤.

Jack knew that it was coming. He just couldn't predict when it would hit. He knew the kid and his habits and how things usually happened with him. You could say he was hardwired to Mac's needs and moods, always there to prevent the worst if Mac let him, and as always, Mac waited till the last possible minute to just let go. That kid was an Atlas in this modern world, holding the weight of the world on his shoulders, stubborn as all hell, trying to help everyone, remove all obstacles even after he met his limits. Mac was the type of person that, given the chance, would outsmart the worst person out there and wait them out so he could do his thing. 

Jack just hated to see the fallout when Mac was finally going to stop running on fumes and just collapse. 

Jack had seen it before, although it was quite a long time since he saw it last. Jack first noticed it when he was paired up with Mac in the Sandbox. Working himself over, almost dragging himself to the ground, trying to achieve perfection, to not let someone else die if he had anything to say about it (not that Peña's death was on Mac, but it took a long time for Jack to make him see that). Jack wasn't sure if it started with their recent encounter with the Ghost, but something in Mac snapped. And by the time they arrived in Latvia and had to grab Yanis, Mac was already at a point where Jack could tell it was close to the breaking point. Jack just hoped that it could wait for after they had Dieva Roka neutralized. He didn't think they would wait for Mac to gather his wits if Mac was to finally crash. Because Mac was going to. Jack was going to be there to catch him.

For weeks now Jack watched as Mac threw himself into work. First the Ghost, then the undercover stint in prison. Jack could swear that he wasn't going to be able to go home any time soon, because he was going to have to drive past Bishop, and Jack wasn't sure that he was ready for it. The kid was the one that spent a week in that hellhole and Jack, who was supposed to shadow him, had his hands full trying to get to Mac any free chance he got. Jack didn't have the chance to see the whole setting and witness more than fights in the yard. Mac was the one that got beaten, multiple times, almost raped, and then he was kidnapped and almost drowned on pure nitrogen. 

And just when Jack asked for a reprieve so Mac could get his feet back under him, Murdoc happened. And Jack hated to admit, but that creep rattled even him. Jack was pretty much the type of person that had already seen so many things in life that thing rarely phased him. He could have said he saw it all before Murdoc. Life however had different plans and sent a reminder in the form of one very deranged killer that had an unhealthy obsession with Mac. 

And if that wasn't enough, Murdoc entered their lives with a bang, literally, there was this hostage situation at the embassy in which they were the hostages alongside the embassy employees. 

Jack watched as Mac scrambled to come up with ideas, extrapolating possible scenarios, frantic calculations that led to temporary solutions. Jack knew that sooner rather than later, Mac would drive himself into a corner. 

So Jack assumed his role of talking, keeping Mac in check. If the kid was listening to him talk then Mac had less chances to fall into a rabbit hole, thinking and overthinking. 

Sharing stories from his life back at the ranch, right before he shipped out was a sure way to keep his boy in check. And if he gave Mac an idea in the process… well, Jack was proud of how quick his boy was even when he was running on fumes. 

…

Dusting himself off, Mac groaned and realized that the blast knocked him out for a few seconds. Not enough for Jack to notice it, otherwise Jack was going to hover. Thankful for not being made, he lifted himself on shaky legs. He took a few deep breaths, his body aching as his skin pulled over what undoubtedly would become bruises once there was enough time for the points of impact to settle. Mac watched as Jack did the same and then they proceeded to help the embassy employees to get down with the help of the climbing ropes. 

Mac was the last one to get down and Jack was there to keep him steady. Mac smiled in thanks, Jack was always there, no questions asked. 

They drove off and towards the point of exfil, where Patty informed them the Phoenix issued plane was waiting for them. 

Mac was still wearing the bullet proof vest,seemingly unable to muster the strength to pull the velcro straps and remove it. He could feel his shirt sticking to him as he started sweating again. And now that things abated, he could feel light pounding of his head and a pain behind his eyes. His vision was blurring for a while now, and he really hoped it would hold until they were on the plane before it got worse, whatever it was that was causing his vision to slowly veer towards blackness. 

Mac hoped he wouldn't blackout, because then Jack would lose his calm. Mac could see how tense Jack was and the subtle looks when he thought Mac wasn't looking. Mac might have been running on fumes, but he was still able to see Jack's worry. For all that Jack was a great operative and a spy, he was unable to school his features when it came to how he was feeling, especially when Mac was in question. 

The ringing in his ears abated, but it was still present, now more static than ringing. And Mac tuned out the talk going on between Riley and Jack. Not that he'd be able to tell about what they were talking about. Riley seemed to be slowly coming around to letting Jack back in her life, and Jack was still his self-sacrificing self, holding himself at an arm's length until he gained her trust back.

Mac realized that he lost a quality bit of time because all of a sudden they were stopping and Jack put the car in park. Riley was already out, her backpack slung over her shoulder. 

“Mac?” 

“Hm? Yes, Jack?” 

“You good?” 

“Yeah, I'm good.” 

“C'mon, hop out and get in the plane. Gotta get some stuff ready and then will catch up with ya'.” 

Jack winked at him and got out, heading to the back of the vehicle. Mac tried to get out of the car, but it was harder than he expected. He felt tired and stiff. On the third try he managed, and after carefully standing on more or less steady feet, he started to walk towards the stairs of the plane. 

..

Jack sent Mac to climb the plane before him on purpose. There was nothing he was supposed to retrieve, they already had everything on them. But he wanted to make sure the kid was okay. That, and give Mac some semblance of normalcy and control because Mac hated when people openly hovered. Jack never asked what that meant, but he had a feeling that it came from Mac's childhood and someone seeing Mac experience some kind of hurt as a weakness. Jack suspected it was Mac's father, but he had no confirmation of that. 

Jack was following close behind Mac. He didn't want to crowd his partner, but it was clear Mac wasn't firing on all cylinders. It took one wrong step, or more like Mac missed the step completely as he swayed. Jack could see the moment Mac realized that he was going to fall when Jack was there in two quick strides to keep him steady. And Mac just half-screamed and half-gasped as Jack held him. It was clear to Jack that the kid was fighting while staying on his feet and coherent at that. 

“Hey, Mac, easy. I'm here. Let go, I'm holding you up.” 

Mac let himself be manhandled as Jack gently helped him to the plane. They didn't take more than five minutes outside, but Riley was already asleep in one of the chairs, a blanket wrapped around her. Jack smiled, she was definitely getting used to the concept of catching a shut eye whenever she could. In their line of work sleep wasn't always guaranteed. Jack was used to napping almost everywhere, but first he had to make sure his team, his kids were okay. He made sure to be his extra protecting self and asked Riley how she was on her way over, while Mac was very busy thinking about something. Which, seeing as how pliant he was under Jack's hands, maybe he wasn't thinking at all. 

One final look at Riley and Jack was herding Mac, gently helping him walk to the back of the plane. 

The “ooomph” sound he made as he sat heavily on the plush couch told Jack all he needed to know. He was right. And he knew that Mac would have fought him if Jack acknowledged it before, but now that they were on the plane, Jack could hover. Although he knew Mac would still try to deny that he wasn't in any shape to even stand let alone function. 

Jack was just waiting for the inevitable and now that Mac just  _ sagged _ , he was determined to take care of the kid and then let him sleep. 

“Hey.” Jack whispered, noticing the way Mac squinted, as if the light bothered him. 

“Hey.” Mac replied, voice strained. 

“Long day, huh?” Jack tried to joke, but it fell flat. 

“More like a long couple of months.” 

“Yeah.” 

Mac was swaying from side to side, even while sitting and Jack reached out to steady him. 

“This mission really did a number on you, eh?” 

“Probably.” 

“Okay. Let's check you out and then you can rest, okay? I just wanna make sure you are completely okay.” 

“i'm fine, Jack.” Mac tried to protest, although it was a feeble one at best and with the way his eyes were hooded and weren't exactly fast tracking, Jack knew Mac wasn't even close to be able to determine what fine was. 

The point of sheer exhaustion, the level of tiredness that was just this deep feeling of fatigue that seeped down through to your bones, until you couldn't move, Jack knew that all too well. And knew exactly how to handle his boy and make it comfortable. 

“No, you are not. But it's okay. It's just you and me. Riley's conked out in one of the seats. I'll just do a quick check up, we were almost shot, almost blown up and we climbed down a window that wasn't exactly close to the ground, so if you will, I'd feel better if I checked for myself.” 

Mac conceded defeat, Jack could tell, but he still held his ground by pouting. Jack chuckled, because Mac looked like a little kid. As Jack helpedMac out of the vest and the crunch of the velcro straps being opened was the only thing to be heard in the cabin, Jack was struck by how young Mac looked in these rare moments where he was vulnerable and not in control of how he let the others see him. This rare, uninhibited state of being tired beyond reason, of his strings loose, not so tightly strung that he couldn't even breathe without being reminded of having to fight over every breath and make sense of life. 

“Are you okay to unbutton your shirt by yourself?” 

Mac looked like Jack's question confused him and after it took too long to process Jack's question, Jack reached a hand out and cupped Mac's cheek. Even in a state where Mac wasn't at 100% aware, he still chased for Jack's touch and Jack reveled in the trust his boy had in him. Still, it wasn't an impeding state, so Jack wanted to have Mac's consent if he was to undress his partner. 

“My hands are shaking.” Mac said matter-of-factly and Jack realized with a startle that Mac was right. 

“You are exhausted, bud. It's okay.”

“But…” Mac looked up at his shirt, cheeks slightly pink. 

Jack had to release Mac's cheek and he placed both hands over Mac's chest. 

“May I?” 

His hands hovered right over Mac's shirt buttons. 

“Go ahead.” 

Jack was going slowly, and once he was done, he carefully removed Mac's shirt. He had several bruises and scrapes from where the blast got him thrown a bit and Jack hissed in sympathy. He was sore all over as well. 

After the visual check, Jack reached with a hand to try and find if there was something out of the ordinary. 

Mac tried to get from under the touch. 

“Cooold.” he whined and Jack removed his hand. 

“Sorry, I just needed to check for broken bones. You are good, though. Nothing out of the ordinary. You'll just be hella achy for a few days. How's the tinnitus?” Jack asked as he pulled Mac's shirt back over and buttoned it, leaving the top two unbuttoned. 

“Bearable. I'll live.” 

“Okay, so, I'm gonna go to the bathroom really quickly to freshen up. I'll be back.” 

Jack did good on his promise, wetting a rag on his way back. 

He sat next to Mac, who was already headed to at least some form of sleep. 

“Hey, kiddo, c'mere.” 

Mac opened his eyes blearily, but slid a bit and let Jack help him closer. 

Jack slowly ran the cold rag over Mac's face and his neck, cleaning some of the grime and soot. 

“Better?” Jack asked when he finished cleaning Mac's face and finally removed his own vest. 

“Much.” Mac replied, his eyes closing again. He jerked awake a minute later and tried to keep them open, but failed. 

“I'm gonna go and settle in and get you settled in as well, okay?” 

Mac nodded jerkily and then winced when the movement pulled on his achy temples. 

“C'mere.” Jack opened his arms, and really, he should have been scared with how pliant Mac went, but Jack wasn't gonna think of it now. His kid was finally on his way to rest. 

Once Mac wiggled and made himself comfortable, Jack wrapped him in a tight hug, holding Mac close and hoping Mac was finally going to sleep. He earned it and needed it. Jack thought Mac was already sleeping when his partner suddenly jerked in his arms and almost got him in his jaw. 

“Ow, easy there hoss.” 

“Sorry.” 

Mac sounded confused and disoriented, and Jack's heart ached. 

“What's up?” 

“You think Bozer will forgive me? For what I did? Basically for what I didn't do, and that's… I wasn't honest with him.” 

“Mac…” 

“I hope Thornton can let him off the hook. Don't want to lose him.” 

Mac was close to tears and Jack was positive something in his heart gave way under the heavy words Mac just spoke. 

“Honestly, hoss, I have no earthly idea. But for as much as Patty is the Ice Queen, I believe she has a heart. I think that if she wants to prevent more heartbreak, and keep the Phoenix's identity hidden, she'll have to decide in a way that will keep both sides satisfied. Because I know that if she gets hung up over Boze being a civilian and wants to make an example out of him, you'll be outta door. And I'll be following right behind you.” 

“You'd do that? For Bozer?” Mac now perked up a little, and Jack really wanted todeck whoever made Mac feel like no one would choose him. 

“Sure, Bozer, too. I meant you, Mac. I'd do it for you in a heartbeat. You are important to me. And Bozer is a good dude and important to you. So whatever it takes. We are a package deal, me an' you. Got it?” 

It took a while for Mac to process Jack's words, but then he nodded. 

“Now, don't worry that pretty head o' yours. I'm sure Bozer has already forgiven you. He just needs time to process all of this. It's still new to him and he needs time. But he's known you your whole life. He'll come around. And if not, Jacky boy's gonna talk to him. Show him the ropes.” 

“Jaaack.” 

“What? I'm good at telling stories. I'll tell him about his brave bestie that is so selfless, and also a self-sacrificing idiot while we are at that.” Mac chuckled and Jack smiled at the little sound. 

“Mmm, thanks, Jack. I appreciate it.” 

“Always, kid. Don't you worry. I got you. What are partners for, anyways?” 

“Well, for starters, they make a really soft pillow.” 

“Really?”

“Yep. Now, shut up, I'm sleeping.” 

“Bossy.” Jack quipped, but he tightened the hold he had on Mac and he melted when Mac buried his face in Jack's neck. 

“Sleep tight, kiddo. I'm here.” 

Mac snuffled and his breaths evened out. Jack was happy to stay alert and watch over him. It was worth staying up when Mac was finally letting himself relax. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thoughts?


End file.
